Students
News of UT Dallas students’ achievements, experiences and contributions to the university and community.
Program Helps Students Bond While They Are Abroad
The chance to learn about new cultures, different languages or exotic foods might make the iFriend program seem like a good idea to just about anyone, but a few UT Dallas students walk away with the best perk of all: a lifelong pal. Begun in fall 2010 as a way to help new international teaching assistants acclimate to life on campus, the program has morphed into a partnership between the International Student Services Office and the Office of Student Volunteerism that provides an immersive cultural experience to both domestic and international students. read more
Gifts Enable Research on Addiction, Cognitive Ability
The Center for BrainHealth has granted new fellowships to two doctoral students to advance their research, made possible by gifts from supporters of the center. Sam DeWitt, a PhD candidate in cognition and neuroscience, is the recipient of the first-ever Dianne Cash Graduate Fellowship. Cash donated $5 million in 2003 to build the Center for BrainHealth in honor of her mother and grandmother, Frances Goad Cecil and Mildred Crews Goad. read more
Student's Book Translates Acclaimed Mexican Author
George Henson, a PhD Candidate in Humanities, has recently translated a collection of short stories by prominent Mexican author Elena Poniatowska under the title The Heart of the Artichoke. Henson said the collection of stories illustrates Mexico’s rich cultural tapestry.“These are stories about servants and matriarchs, street sweepers and sorceresses, shop keepers, nannies, mothers, travelers and addicts. They are stories of broken lives and broken hearts, of betrayal and rebirth,” said Henson. read more
Exhibit to Examine Sound as Art and Image
The School of Arts and Humanities opens its spring season by examining the relationship between sound and art with the mixed-media exhibit Sonic Architectonic. Curated by visual arts faculty member Lorraine Tady, the exhibit features both local and national artists who work directly with noise or frequency, examining what is heard or felt through sound waves, and some who work with images that suggest sound. Other artists in the exhibit anticipate our relationship to sound by addressing our expectations and cognitive reflexes. read more
Terry Foundation Expands Scholarship Program at UT Dallas
The Houston-based Terry Foundation is funding up to five additional student scholars at UT Dallas this fall in a nod to the success and growth of the Terry Scholars Program at the University over the last six years. In total, the foundation will provide more than $1 million for scholarships this fall. The increase to 21 students — up from 16 — was approved by the foundation late last fall. The program aids Texas high school graduates who demonstrate a strong record of academic achievement, exhibit leadership, have a track record of volunteerism and meet certain income standards as represented by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA.
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Team Prescribes Best Medicine in Healthcare Contest
Hard-nosed economics and ethical judgment calls helped a team of Naveen Jindal School of Management students win a case competition that asked competitors to distribute $500 million in make-believe money throughout a hypothetical hospital system. The graduate-student team tied for first place and earned $3,000 in the second annual contest sponsored by the North Texas chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. The three-judge panel at the Nov. 17 event awarded both first-place teams the full top-place cash prize, North Texas ACHE Coordinator Lisa Cox said. read more
Largest Ever Cohort Named to Fall Dean’s List
For the fall 2011 semester, 792 undergraduate students made the dean’s list at UT Dallas. It is the single largest group named to the list in the University’s history, up by more than 100 students over fall 2010 and up 27 percent since fall 2007. Dr. Sheila Amin Gutierrez de Pineres, dean of Undergraduate Education at the University said the increase is directly tied to the University’s enrollment growth.
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Mechanical Engineering Program Reaches Milestone
The graduating class of mechanical engineering students earning master’s degrees had an added distinction in 2011 – they were UT Dallas’ first. The class was made up of five students receiving MSME degrees from the burgeoning Mechanical Engineering Department, housed within the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “This first graduating class represents the interdisciplinary vision of engineering and the rigorous education students receive here,” said Dr. Mario Rotea, head of the department. read more
Fraud Risk Plan Wins High Marks in CPA Competition
A UT Dallas team’s plan to steer a freewheeling Texas construction company back onto a straight-and-narrow path to success recently earned the students third place in a national case competition. Highly Debticated, the foursome from Naveen Jindal School of Management, won $2,500 in the contest, the second annual American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ collegiate accounting competition. read more
Art Exhibit to Showcase Works of 6 UT Dallas Women
Six emerging female artists, all current or former UT Dallas students, are presenting their work together in the exhibit A Fraudulent Desire to Exist. The show, which is curated by UT Dallas professors John Pomara and Greg Metz, features the work of Cassandra Emswiler, Danielle Georgiou, Emily Loving, Hillary Holsonback, Robin Myrick and Sally Glass. The opening reception for the show will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at Steve Paul Productions, which is hosting the exhibit. read more
Course to Teach Business Undergrads How to Manage the Cloud
When one class of business school students return to campus next week, assignments for the new semester won’t be the only thing up in the air. The Naveen Jindal School of Management is offering an Enterprise Resource Planning course, beginning in the spring, to teach students how to use cloud computing technology, a fast-growing field in which data and processes are hosted remotely on the Web.
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Chess Team Repeats Undefeated Performance
For the second year, the UT Dallas chess team has won the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. Known as “The World Series of Chess,” the competition was held Dec. 27-30 in Fort Worth, where the UT Dallas team was undefeated throughout the tournament for the second consecutive year. read more
UT Dallas Family, Friends Celebrate Newest Grads
Family and friends worked to contain their excitement as they watched UT Dallas’ newest graduates walk across a stage decorated with poinsettias. A weekend of commencement ceremonies honored more than 1,800 UT Dallas students, the largest fall graduating class to date.
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Efficiency is the Watchword for Business Idea Contest Winners
Both winning teams at the Fifth Annual UT Dallas Business Idea Competition captured their prizes by seeking more efficiency from modern living. The first-place graduate team focused on cost savings and clean energy when members planned solar panel-covered parking structures for businesses. The first-place undergraduate team aimed for reducing restaurant waits by devising a smartphone app for ordering food in advance. read more
Fall Grad Ceremonies to Set a Record for UT Dallas
The 1,839 students projected to receive diplomas this weekend will make for UT Dallas’ largest fall graduation cohort ever. The increase is a 13 percent jump over last fall, and a 27 percent rise in fall graduation rates since 2006. Curt Eley, vice provost for Enrollment Management at the University, said that even though fall commencement is typically smaller than its spring counterpart, he’s not surprised by this year’s increase. read more
Phi Kappa Phi Connection Spans Generation
UT Dallas senior Evan Baldwin Carr’s recent induction into the Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society was a commitment for his future, but also a connection to his family's past. He was one of more than 200 UT Dallas students recently accepted into the society.
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Chess Team Warming Up for Winter Break
The UT Dallas Chess Team is warming up for one of the season’s biggest tournaments. The team will spend December preparing for the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, known as “The World Series of Chess,” which is Dec. 27-30 in Dallas. read more
Debate Team Jumps into Season Strong in the Polls
The UT Dallas Debate Team enters the season’s midpoint as one of the nation’s top programs, placing in the top 20 in two separate ranking systems. Leading the program are seniors Wes Dwyer and Collin Roark. “Wes and Collin have performed well against the toughest competition in the country,” said Chris Burk, director of debate and political science lecturer at UT Dallas. read more
Doctoral Student Dedicates Run to Late Professor
Dr. Duane Buhrmester loved exercise and the outdoors, almost as much as he cared about his students. More than a year after his death, his devotion to UT Dallas is still inspiring young people to chase their goals. Shannon Layman, a doctoral student in UT Dallas’ School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, plans to run in the White Rock Half Marathon on Sunday as a tribute to Buhrmester, the late associate dean of BBS. She wants to raise awareness of the Buhrmester Student Development Fund, launched in 2010. read more
Business Pioneers Inspire, Instruct Executive Students
The recent inaugural C-Level Dinner, held at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, introduced UT Dallas students to entrepreneurial executives seasoned in the travails and triumphs of launching their own companies. read more
Festival to Showcase Creativity from UT Dallas Arts Courses
Starting this week, more than 600 UT Dallas students from more than 40 courses will be sharing their art with the public as part of The Student Art Fall Festival. The festival invites audiences to roam from one building to another, taking in classical, jazz, dance, guitar, piano and vocal performances, as well as an art exhibition and reception. read more
Business Students Ship Out Holiday Cheer to Soldiers
UT Dallas students played the roles of bustling elves as they recently gathered to compile packages of holiday cheer for U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. read more
UT Dallas Students Mentor At-Risk High-Schoolers
UT Dallas students are mentoring high school students who are considered at risk of dropping out. The program, led by the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, won a $67,000 grant as part of a national effort to help youths stay in school and pursue higher education. read more
Accounting Team Hones Fraud-Fighting Skills in Contest
Nobody at the Naveen Jindal School of Management wanted to get cocky this year about the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ annual collegiate accounting competition. The UT Dallas team won first place and $10,000 in the launch of the national contest last year, and it seemed like tempting fate to openly contemplate capturing that flag again. But now that Highly Debticated, JSOM’s team this year, has been chosen as one of 10 semifinalist squads, its four members are looking for help from the UT Dallas community. read more
Veterans Find Skills Serve Them Well in College
Armed with benefits under the GI Bill and the state’s Hazlewood Act, Texas veterans are pursuing UT Dallas degrees at an accelerated pace, both on campus and through online programs. With experiences that transcend their chronological years, they often see a college degree as a mission — something they’re used to accomplishing. read more
Women's Soccer Team Wins Ticket to NCAA Playoffs
The UT Dallas women's soccer team has been selected as one of 64 teams to play for the NCAA Division III National Championship. The Cometswill make their second-ever trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament as an at-large selection. The Comets will meet American Southwest Conference rival Hardin-Simmons University at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Trinity University in San Antonio. read more
Chess Team Battles to a Draw in Trans-Atlantic Rivalry
After 15 intense chess matches, the UT Dallas chess team had won eight games and The University of Belgrade seven. As the final seconds ran off the clock of the 16th and final game, however, the Serbian team pulled even with eight wins, marking the first tie in the history of the Transatlantic Cup. read more
Comets Vying for Conference Titles in 3 Separate Sports
UT Dallas is fighting for American Southwest Conference titles in three different sports this weekend, with one of the tournament battles unfolding on campus. The Comets won the right to host the championship volleyball tournament after winning the league's East Division for the sixth consecutive year. The Comets claimed the ASC title in 2008 and 2009. Both soccer teams are will also be aiming for titles, with the women’s team playing at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and the men’s team taking to the field at the UT Tyler. read more
Chess Rivalry Spans 6 Years and 5,000 Miles
The UT Dallas chess team faces a rival Friday that it has met in battle many times before, though never face to face. It’s the sixth competition for the Transatlantic Cup, held annually via Internet between UT Dallas and the University of Belgrade. A UT Dallas squad of 16 players will play via computer from the stage in the Davidson Auditorium of the Naveen Jindal School of Management on Friday, Nov. 4, at 12:30 p.m. Watching their every move from computer screens more than 5,000 miles away will be their Serbian opponents. read more
Accounting Grad Student Wins Texas Business Hall of Fame Award
Naveen Jindal School of Management student Remsen Jennings might have been the only one surprised recently when he won a $10,000 Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship. Jennings is pursuing a master’s degree in accounting after graduating summa cum laude from UT Dallas in May with two bachelor’s degrees, one in accounting and one in finance.
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Literary Journal Makes First Appearance Under New Name
Reunion: The Dallas Review, a literary journal published by the School of Arts and Humanities, is celebrating the release of the first volume under its new name. The journal has printed short fiction, drama, visual art, poetry, translation work, non-fiction and interviews for two decades under the name Sojourn. As Reunion, the journal has a new look and a new name but remains committed to promoting the work of talented writers and artists, both locally and beyond. read more
Students Join UT Southwestern Researchers in Lab
Joanne Thambuswamy carefully analyzed behavioral data and conducted diagnostic interviews of research subjects – heavy-duty responsibilities for the UT Dallas student. And although she’s at a nascent point in her career goal of becoming a physician, she was selected along with 17 other UT Dallas students to partner with researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center as part of the Green Fellowship Program. She said her experiences with the program this past year have furthered her research experience exponentially. read more
Volleyball Team Enters Weekend on 13-Match Streak
The UT Dallas volleyball team was expected to be in rebuilding mode after losing three seniors from last year’s squad, including the program’s first-ever first-team All-American. But, that doesn’t seem to be the case as the Comets find themselves atop the American Southwest Conference East Division standings with three weeks left in the regular season. read more
Grad Scores in National Contest with Business Turnaround Plan
A recent UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management graduate has found success by looking for trouble. Sudhanshu Jain, a May MS in Finance graduate and August recipient of an MBA, learned last month that he had won a national student contest that challenges competitors to offer recommendations for resurrecting distressed companies. Jain earned first place and $3,000 in the Turnaround Management Association’s case-analysis competition. read more
Student’s Research Ambitions Soar Aloft With His Balloons
Some students measure their success in A’s and B’s. Sophomore Cody Morris measures it in the miles he puts between his weather balloons and the Earth’s surface. The mechanical engineering student has been pursuing his balloon ambitions for two years. Now he hopes that all his hard work will pay off, in research grants and a career. It has been Morris’ dream since childhood to work for NASA and send things into space, but his interest in weather balloons and the heights they can reach was sparked in early 2010. read more
Students Pursue Shared Service Goals in UNICEF Chapter
The UT Dallas UNICEF chapter's charity fund-raiser this week is the largest endeavor the recently founded group has coordinated since its arrival at the university. The year-old group is an association of like-minded students who wish to promote philanthropy at the university. read more
Chess Grandmaster Records Back-to-Back Wins
UT Dallas Grandmaster Julio Sadorra lasted five rounds of chess to co-win the U.S. Class Championship in Houston over the weekend. “Sadorra is playing more solid now, so I have big expectations for him at team tournaments like the Pan-American and the Final Four,” said Rade Milovanovic, the chess team coach. read more
2 Students Write Their Way to the Top in State Contest
Two UT Dallas students have won top prizes in the Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers Student Competition. Sara Keeth, a student enrolled in Dr. Betty Wiesepape’s creative nonfiction class, took first place in the graduate creative non-fiction competition. Michael J. Kaufman, a student in Dr. Matt Bondurant’s creative writing fiction class, took third in the undergraduate fiction category.
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Honor Society Uses Old Ritual to Welcome the New
Phi Kappa Phi, a highly selective academic honor society at UT Dallas, invited 662 upperclassmen and graduate students to join its membership for the first time this week. Juniors who were selected for membership were invited through a tradition known as “tapping.” Various Phi Kappa Phi members, including UT Dallas President David E. Daniel, Executive Vice President and Provost Hobson Wildenthal and Dr. Denise Paquette Boots, donned full academic regalia and visited classrooms to invite, or “tap,” juniors who were selected. read more
Arts Options Abound for Visitors on Family Day
The Family Day tradition returns to the UT Dallas campus this year on Saturday, Oct. 1, and brings with it multiple arts and entertainment options for parents to experience after they tour the University's new buildings and facilities. “Family day is an opportunity for parents and other family members to return to campus to spend time with their students,” said Cynthia Jenkins, assistant vice president for student affairs. “We host these special events so they can share time together while catching up on the happenings of the semester so far.” read more
Student Bloggers Out to Upgrade Accounting's Image
Aware that the CPA world suffers from a dull, even “nerdy,” stereotype, area accountants have teamed up with UT Dallas grad students to sell prospective accounting majors on the profession. Four School of Management accounting TAs – Tim Ellis, Jasmine Hernandez, Tripp Smitham and Eric Rivetna – are blogging every week to the Texas Society of CPAs website about their experiences as accounting students. read more
Nearly 33% of UT Dallas Students Are New to Campus
Enrollment at UT Dallas has set several new records, according to figures collected last week. While a record total had been expected, two metrics — the proportion of new students on campus and the proportion of overall student body growth — were unusually large, prompting University administrators to embark on a survey of new students. At nearly 19,000, total enrollment includes 6,251 new students, or almost 33 percent. This includes 1,777 first-time-in-college freshmen, 2,034 transfers and 2,440 new graduate students. read more
New Journal to Showcase Undergraduate Research
UT Dallas will produce a new journal that will publish analytical articles related to undergraduate students' research activities and creative works. “The University is committed to supporting research at all levels, and specifically, excellence in our undergraduate research endeavors,” said Dean of Undergraduate Education, Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres. “We think the creation of this journal proves that.” read more
BBS Senior Launch Features Advice from Alumnus
The School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences hosted its annual Senior Launch event Wednesday in the McDermott Suite. BBS seniors visited with faculty members, enjoyed good food, picked up a special T-shirt and listened to advice from a successful former alumnus, Buhrmester Rising Star Award recipient Konstantin Parkhomenko. Now working as an attorney, Parkhomenko offered seniors these insights regarding his time at UT Dallas and what he has learned since graduation. read more
UT Dallas Grandmaster Captures 1st at Tournament
The UT Dallas Chess Team is off to a promising start of the 2011 season after one of its star players won the Southwest Open. Julio Sadorra, a business administration junior, took first place at the tournament, held in Dallas over the Labor Day weekend. Sadorra’s victory comes only three months after he achieved a Grandmaster title, the highest chess ranking possible. read more
Class Gets Nonprofits Clicking With Social Media
Before this summer, the Friends of the University Park Public Library were not tweeting, posting or YouTubing. Thanks to three UT Dallas marketing students, however, the library volunteers are now better able to connect with library patrons. The students were part of UT Dallas School of Management Undergraduate Marketing Program Director Julie Haworth’s Marketing Strategy class who undertook a social media project. Working with the Communities Foundation of Texas, nine small teams of students created social media channels for Dallas-area nonprofit organizations supported by the foundation from scratch or advanced what already existed. read more
UT Dallas Art Students Slated for Busy Weekend
UT Dallas artists have a flurry of exhibits opening this weekend, featuring video, photography, sculpture and more in galleries from McKinney to the Dallas Design District. All the events this weekend are free and open to the public. read more
Festive First Week Gives Year a Lively Start
The school year made a colorful debut with Welcome Week, a series of student events that ranged from the silly to the ceremonial. Convocation started the celebration on Aug. 23. For the week that followed, the UT Dallas campus was home to a water park, carnival fairgrounds and a tropical beach. read more
New Arrivals Expand Ranks of Terry Scholars Program
Sixteen UT Dallas freshmen have arrived on campus as the largest class of Terry Scholars to date. The 11 women and five men come from throughout Texas and bring the number of students now in the University's Terry Scholars Program to 54. The students' academic interests range from the arts to mechanical engineering. All 16 have demonstrated leadership skills both inside the classroom and out. read more
School Offers Full Slate of Fall Arts Events
The School of Arts and Humanities has scheduled a wide array of arts events this semester to meet the interests of the University’s increasingly large and diverse student body. “This season features a broad spectrum of artistic creativity: dance, drama, fiction and poetry, the visual arts, and music ranging from jazz to classical — which reflects our commitment to the ocean of tradition as well as the rushing stream of contemporary experimentation,” said the school's dean, Dr. Dennis M. Kratz. read more
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